Sugar Waxing 101

Bikini season is a little too close for comfort (as in, it’s here).
You’ve skipped a few too many crunches (like 500,000) and you’re not quite prepared to go back to shaving everyday. You could wax. But no matter how much you try to act like a big girl, it still hurts like a bitch.
A traditional form of hair removal since the ancient times, sugar waxing is cheap, easy to prepare, and praised for being less painful. Like traditional waxing, hair typically takes a number of weeks to grow back without the stubble trouble. We fell in love with “sugaring” because it’s an all-natural alternative – and a way to get rid of the bag of refined sugar sitting in the back of your pantry. 
Read on to learn how to make your own wax (and not end up looking like a burn victim).

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Cotton strips

Getting Started

Make sure skin is dry and clean before you sugar wax. Spray skin with some tea tree oil to get rid of lotion grease, and cornstarch removes any moisture.
In a saucepan, bring the sugar, lemon juice and water to a boil. Simmer over medium to low heat, constantly stirring. The mixture will turn a golden brown and the sugar crystals should dissolve after 5 to 8 minutes. Once it starts to turn from golden brown to brown, turn off the heat and let the mixture cool for several minutes until. Once cool to the touch, spread a thin layer of the sugar wax over skin with a spatula. Immediately press a cotton strip onto the wax in the direction of hair growth and firmly rub back and forth several times. Let sit for 1 to 2 minutes and then rip off in the opposite direction of hair growth. Repeat until all hair is removed.
Once your legs are smooth like a baby’s bum, use a damp cloth or jump in the shower to get rid of any leftover residue.

Tips

1. Test it out on a small area. Because all ingredients are natural, it is less likely to trigger allergic reactions. But like any waxing method, sugaring may irritate more sensitive areas where skin is thinner.
2. Just like sugar candy, if you don’t cook the sugar long enough, it will be too soft. If you cook it too long, it will get hard. While cooling, place in a microwave-safe container so that you can heat up to thicken or add water and stir if the wax is too hard.
3. If you experience some redness or bumps, soothe skin with a moisturizer or calamine lotion. They typically disappear after a few hours, so relax, honey. You’ll live